Mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism.



No. 691,285.' Patented 1an. I4, |902.

s. n. Moons.

MAIL BAG CATCHINGy AND DELIVERING MECHANISM. -Applcation led Nov. 26, 1901.) (No lwndel.) l 2 sham-sheet george j? Moore TH: Nonqxs Pzrsns oo., nom-Limo.. wAsHlNsTum u. c.

Patented 1an. 14, |902.I

No. 69u85. Y

G. R. Moons.` MAIL BAG CATGHING AND DELIVERI-NG MECHANISM.

IApplieation led Nav. 26, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

(No Model.)

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GEORGE R. MOORE, on ERIE, PENNsYLvANIA.

`NIAILFBAG CATOHINGAND DELIVERING MECHANISNI.

SPECEFICA'EIQN forming partei Letters Patent No. 691,285, dated January 1 4, 1902.

v i Application filed NovemberZ, i901. Serial No. 83,729. (No model.)

T0 all` zoll/0711, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGER. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the `county of Erie and StateV of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and Luseful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and De-v livering Mechanism; and Il do hereby declare the following to be Aa full, clear, and exact de-y scription of the invention', such aswill enable others skilled in the vart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings',and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specilioation.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-bag catchingand delivering mechanism', and has for its object the construction of a convenient mechanism adapted to be secured in the side door of-a mail-car, which operates' to catch and deliver mail-bags through the car-door into the car and also to deliver mail-bags from the carat stations. These results I accomplish by constructing an outwardly-swinging plate or door having hinges at both sides thereof, which hinges are adapted to be alternately brought into action, so that either edge of this door may be swung outward, and also by providin g. folding links at the top and bottom ofy each edge of the door, the inner ends of which links are secured to vertical rods pivoted in the doorframe and their outer ends to .the edges of the door,by means whereof the outward movement of the edges of the door is limited, and

which links operate when a mail-bag contacts with them to close the door. These and other features of myinvention are hereinafter more fully set forth and described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in vwhich- Figure 1 shows in elevation a section of the side of a mail-car with my improved mailbag catching and delivering mechanism secured in the car-door frame and closed up. Fig. 2 shows in elevation a like section of a mail-car with the. catching and delivering mechanism swung back out of the way. Fig. 3 shows in perspective a section of a mailcar with the'mechanism in position to catch and deliver mail-bags when the car is moving in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 shows an end view in elevationpf a section of a mail-car with my improved apparatus .catching and delivering inail-bags. Fig. 5

shows atop or plan View of a section of a mailcar, together with my improved mailbag 'catching and delivering mechanism. Fig, 6 shows an enlarged horizontal section of a portionof a car andof thejcatchingand deliver- 'l ing mechanism thereon.

` f In the drawings illustrating my invention,

A represents a section of a mail-car, Bv the doorway, and C the car-door therein. To the door-frame-O,I secure a frame, the sides-D D of which I preferably construct of angle-iron and the top and bottom of cross-bars E E', riveted to the sides D D. The side D of the frame I hinge to the outside of the door-frame C by means of hinges d d. The opposite side D of the frame is provided with slots cl d', adapted to engage rotatable hooks in the doorframe C, as illustrated in Fig'. l, whichhooks can be rotated so as to release the side DI of the frame and permit it to be swung back on the hinges d d, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this D D of the frame when the plate F is swung outward.

Hinged to the top and bottom of each edge of the inside of the plate F there are links H, having knuckle-joints h in the centers thereof, so they will fold together, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the inner ends of these links being secured to vertical rods G, pivoted between the cross-bars E E of the frame, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6, so that theyfwill operate in unison and serve to limit theoutward movement of the edges of the. plate F, as clearly shown` invfull and dotted lines in Fig. 6.

Projecting below the bottom of the plate F, near each edge thereof, there is a hook I, provided with a spring-tongue t',y upon which hook a mail-bag to be delivered is suspended, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. For suspendframe I hang a plate F, having hinge-eyesf ing a mailfbag to be caught by the outturned plate F on a'moving car I provide the usual crane lK at the side of the railroad-track,`

which is provided with a hook 7c, upon which the mail-bag is suspended, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, so that one of the folding links II will strike it as the outturned plate F passes the crane K, which carries the bag J o thel hook lo andat the same time causes the knuckle-joints h in thevlinks H to fold together and close the plate F against the frame, so as to throw the mail-bag J through the doorway into the car.

, At the base of the Vcrane K there is a box and 5, so that when the bag M strikes the end of the box Lit is detached thereby from the hook-I and forces the doors L' L' open and Vpasses between them intol the box, from which it can be removed through a suitable opening (not shown) in the back of the box.

It :will vbe observed from the description of the mechanism hereinbefore given that the plate Fcan be adjusted Aso as to swing either edge `thereof outward, so that it .will operate .with the same facility in catching and delivering mail-bags in either `direction the car is being run.

I have thus shown and described convenient mechanism for utilizing my invention, so as to enable others to construct and operate the same; but I do not desire to conine myself to the exact details `of construction thereof herein shown and described,

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination in a mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism, of a plate, detachable hinges at each side thereof adapted to connect it with the side of the car, and folding links extending from each side of the plate to the side 1 of the car,1substantially as and for the purpose set: forth. l

2. The combination in a mail-'bag catching and delivering mechanism, of a frame adapted to be secured acrossa car-door, a plate on said frame, detachable -hingesat each side of vsaid -plate adapted to connect it to the sides frame, and detachable fastenings securing `theoppositeside.,of .said frame to the .car-

door frame, afplate on said frame,` hinge-eyes on each sideof said plate, vertically-moving hinge-hooks in each-side of said frame adaptedto engage the hinge-eyes on either side of said plate as desired, folding links pivoted to the inside of each side' of the plate and to the cross-bars of the frame, and hooks extending downward 'from each side of said plate, substantially as and for the purpose Set forth. l

4. The combination in a mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism of a frame adapt ed to be secured across a car-door, a plate on said frame, detachable hinges .at each side of said plate, adapted to connect it to the sides of said frame folding links pivoted to each side of the inside ofv said plate and to said frame, a hook extending downward from the bottom of each side of said plate for suspending niail-bags to be delivered, a crane for suspending mail-bags to be caught, and suitable mechanism for detaching mail-bags to be delivered from the hooks on said plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

GEORGE R'. MOORE.

Witnesses: H. M. STURGEoN, A F. J. BAssETT. 

